Atonement
by autumnrose2010
Summary: A happier ending for Katherine of Aragon. Based on a scene from season 2 episode 3.
1. Sorrow

There was no doubt in his mind that she was the most dignified and gracious woman he had ever encountered. She had been stripped of everything - her husband, her title, her place in court, even her relationship with her daughter - and yet there had been no tantrums, no rages, no tears. Only a quiet acceptance of her fate. And what she had told him about preferring misery to joy because misery brought one closer to God - well, he had never heard that thought expressed before, and the way she had expessed it had been so eloquent.

In the presence of Katherine of Aragon, Charles Brandon was ashamed. To him, women had always been mere playthings, to be enjoyed while the thrill of novelty lasted, then casually tossed aside when a more interesting prospect appeared. Even his marriage to the flighty, tempestuous Margaret had been an act of impulse. He had lusted after her, but once the thrill of conquest had been over, he had once again returned to his womanizing ways.

He would never forgive himself for the way Margaret had died. He had been too busy philandering to even notice how ill she had been, had in fact been in the very act of adultery while she had drawn her last breath. No wonder Henry had been so angry at him. A husband of any worth at all would have at least alerted his brother-in-law to his wife's impending demise so that the man would have had the chance to say good-bye to his sister.

He remembered standing beside Margaret's open casket, crying and begging for her forgiveness. Margaret's cold, still body had just lain there silently. Yes, it was forever too late to make things up to Margaret. Margaret was gone forever. But Katherine...Katherine was still alive...

Suddenly Charles felt drawn to the woman he had just come to deliver devastating news to in a way he had never been drawn to any woman before. Here was a woman who commanded respect, who even in debasement held her head high with an innate dignity and grace. She had far more character than Charles himself had, and he was all too aware of that fact. How could he just turn and walk away, leaving her alone and abandoned?

"My lady," he said, stepping toward her. "If there's any way that I can be of assistance to you...any way at all..."

"Thank you, Charles." She smiled for the first time that day.


	2. Compassion

"I mean it," he said. "I want you to be happy, and I'll do whatever I can to put a smile on your face. I don't think God will mind at all if I am able to make your life more pleasurable."

Suddenly her eyes blazed with anger. "Leave my presence immediately!" she snapped.

"Please, my lady, I didn't mean it that way at all." Realizing that he had blundered, he blushed slightly. "I know what that must have sounded like, coming from me. Please believe me when I say that I have always had the utmost respect for you and would never treat you in any way less than honorably."

"I'm well aware of the type of women you associate with and the activities you engage in with them," she said coldly.

"It's true," he admitted. "But I would never put you in the same class with them."

She continued to glare at him, and he began to feel uncomfortable.

"Listen...I just want to let you know that even though Henry and I are very good friends, I don't agree with every decision he makes, and I feel particularly saddened by his most recent decisions involving you. It hurts me to see you in so much pain, and I want to do whatever I can to ease your burden."

"And what would you expect in return?" She regarded him warily.

"Nothing at all, my lady. Just to see you happy again would be payment enough for me."

She looked thoughtful. "There is one thing," she finally said.

"What is it, my lady?"

"As you are still at court and able to see my Mary on a regular basis, if you would simply report back to me occasionally on how she is faring, I would deeply appreciate it."

"Certainly. I would be happy to do it, that and more. For example, if you and Mary just happen to be in the same place at the same time by chance, Henry can say nothing as it is only a coincidence, isn't it? If you wish, I will see how often I can arrange such 'coincidences' without him suspecting anything."

"You would do that for me?" She was amazed.

"Gladly, my lady. Although I have no children myself, I know that the love of a parent for a child is one of the strongest bonds there is, and I would really hate to see you deprived of your daughter's presence for good."

"But...why, your grace? Why would you want to be so kind to me?"

"Because you're a virtuous woman and a loving wife and mother, and you deserve to be treated kindly."

"Oh, Charles, you're an angel." Tears flowed freely down her face as she reached for him and he enveloped her in a caring embrace.

"I'm no angel," he said gruffly. "But I'd really like to be."


	3. A Surprise Visit

Katherine watched as Charles Brandon rode away. Help did indeed come from the most unlikely sources sometimes, it seemed. Yet it was not her place to question, as God chose his instruments.

The next time Charles paid Katherine a visit, she was shocked to find that he was accompanied by none other than her daughter Mary.

"Mary, my darling!" she cried as she rushed to embrace her.

"Mother! I thought that I would never see you again!" Mary clung to her mother as if she would never let go.

"Henry has gone North for several days," Charles explained. "I thought that you ladies might enjoy a brief visit."

"I...I don't know how to thank you," Katherine stammered.

"The expression on your face is all the thanks I need," Charles replied. "But it's much too lovely a day to just stand around talking. I was thinking that perhaps a picnic and horseback riding would be nice."

"What a lovely idea!" Katherine said. "Please say you'll stay and join us, Charles."

"I'd love to!" he said. "I've brought along some things to share as well, if you don't mind."

Katherine was stunned to see how much food he had brought along.

"Why, Charles, for one day I quite feel like a Queen again," she said.

"In my sight, you never ceased to be one," he said softly.

"Have you fared well since last I saw you?" Katherine asked Mary.

"All my needs are provided for, although, of course, I have missed you, Mother. I was beside myself with joy when Sir Charles told me that he was taking me to see you again." She turned to Charles and smiled, and he smiled back.

"You're a combination of the best features of both your mother and your father, and you look especially lovely when you smile," Charles told Mary.

"Thank you, your grace." Mary blushed and looked down.

They had a lovely picnic and rode horses afterwards. The day passed quickly, and all too soon, dusk was approaching, and Charles and Mary had to go back home.

"Thank you ever so much for this lovely day. I am indeed beholden to you," Katherine told Charles.

"Nonsense," he chuckled. "The pleasure was all mine." His hand was inches from her hair. "May I?" he asked softly.

"Certainly."

He lightly touched her hair. "It's so beautiful. _You're _beautiful. He doesn't realize what he's done."

Katherine felt her heartbeat quicken and stepped back, alarmed.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."

"I am not a toy to be trifled with, Charles Brandon." She meant for her voice to sound severe but feared that a sudden longing deep inside her would belie that intention.

"Nor would I ever presume you to be," he assured her. Their eyes met. In his, she saw desire coupled with tenderness. In hers, he saw hesitation tempered by yearning. She glanced away, suddenly afraid.

He gently lifted her chin so that she was facing him. "God be with you, sweet Katherine, until we meet again." He tenderly kissed her forehead and then was gone. She watched him ride away with conflicting emotions in her heart.


	4. The Question

It quickly became routine for Charles to take Mary to visit her mother whenever Henry was out of town. Charles, Katherine, and Mary enjoyed many hours of pleasure going for walks or horseback riding, having picnics, going for boat rides, and engaging in many other pastimes. Katherine found that she looked forward to seeing Charles almost as much as she did to seeing Mary.

One day Charles arrived alone with a downcast look in his eyes.

"I'm very sorry, but I don't know when I'll ever be able to bring Mary again. Henry has banished me from court," he told Katherine.

"Oh, no! Whatever for?" Katherine knew that Charles had been banished from court once before, when he had married Henry's sister Margaret without the King's permission, but Henry had soon relented.

"I found evidence that Anne Boleyn is not what she seems to be. It turns out that she has had quite a colorful past, having engaged in affairs with, amongst others, Thomas Wyatt. I presented my evidence to Henry and he refused to accept it. Moreover, he became angry and banished me from court."

"I'm so sorry to hear of it, Charles."

"Thank you for your concern, Katherine, but I'm sure I will be quite all right. However, it does sadden me that you and Mary will no longer be able to visit one another regularly."

"The Lord has given, and He has taken away again. So be it."

"But it grieves me to see you in pain. You, who deserve nothing but happiness."

"I am accustomed to pain. As I told you once before, it draws one closer to God."

"You are such a brave woman, Katherine, and I admire you so much. The better I get to know you, the more trouble I have believing that Henry could have so willingly cast you aside."

Despite the grim news about Mary, Katherine began to feel the now-familiar quickening of her heart.

"But what are you implying, Charles?"

Charles smiled and took her hand. "I'm not implying anything, Katherine. But I do have something to tell you." He lowered his voice, and his face grew even more serious. "Over the past few months, I have fallen in love with you, Katherine of Aragon. You are a woman of not only virtue and character but also of warmth, intelligence, and passion. There's nothing that pleases me nearly as much as spending time with you."

"But what about your other women?" She was suddenly wary.

"They mean nothing to me, Katherine. Nothing at all."

"As you are now banished from court, you can no longer be with them. But that will likely change. Upon being reinstated at court, how long do you suppose it would be before you once more give in to your lustful desires?"

Charles shook his head. "To me, you are worth more than all of them combined. If it would earn for me your heart, I would gladly give them all up."

His words brought tears to Katherine's eyes. "Not even Henry loved me enough to give up his mistresses."

"Well, I'm not Henry, am I?" His voice was ever so soft, as were his eyes as they gazed into hers. Katherine feared that the animal magnetism that seemed to irresistibly draw women to Charles Brandon had claimed her own heart as well, and she wasn't yet sure whether that was cause for regret or joy.

"Marry me, Katherine. You would be much more comfortable at my estate than you are here. I know that you will miss Mary, but I hope that you will allow me to comfort you and offer you companionship."

"But you have no sons, Charles. I was unable to give Henry a son, and I fear that I may be unable to give you a son as well."

"For the opportunity to love you, Katherine, I will gladly take that chance."

"If I prove to be indeed infertile, you may end up hating me, as he did."

"I could never hate you, Katherine, no matter what." He raised her chin so that he could look into her eyes and gently wiped away her tears.

"And what of Elizabeth?" Katherine knew that she could never abandon her loyal former lady-in-waiting.

"Elizabeth can live with us and continue to serve you as she has always done."

"What you're proposing seems almost too good to be true."

"I swear to you, Katherine, that every word of it is true. So...will you?"

Katherine hesitated but a moment before giving him her answer.


	5. Passion Fulfilled

"I love you, Charles. Yes, I will marry you."

His face lit up with joy as he grinned and embraced her tightly. Then he kissed her lips for the first time.

"When?" she asked.

"Why, as soon as possible, of course! We can go to the judge right away if you like, unless it's important to you to have a church wedding."

"As much as I love you, Charles, and as eager as I am to be with you, it's more important to me to do what is pleasing in God's sight."

"I knew you would say that." Charles looked slightly disappointed. "Never mind. The wait will make the final fulfillment of our love all the sweeter."

Several weeks later, Charles and Katherine stood before a priest in a simple yet elegant chapel in the English countryside. It was a far different scenario from those of her first two marriages: to Arthur in St. Paul's Cathedral in London and to Henry in the Franciscan Church at Greenwich. To Katherine it was no less joyous an occasion. She realized that she and Charles had to keep a very low profile, as Henry would not be pleased that his best friend had wed his former wife without his permission. The ceremony was very beautiful and moving, and Katherine's heart was full of happiness as she rode away with Charles as his wife.

"If my darling Mary could have only been there, this day would have been nothing short of perfect," she told her new husband.

Charles squeezed her hand comfortingly. "I pray to God that the current situation will prove to be but temporary and that her presence will once again grace our company very soon."

To her delight, Katherine did indeed find that conditions at Charles' estate were a vast improvement over those of her previous home.

"I realize that it isn't Whitehall Palace, but I hope that you will be happy here," Charles told her, sounding a bit apologetic.

"It's lovely, Charles, but what matters far more to me is that you are here with me," Katherine replied.

Charles smiled and kissed her cheek.

That night, he waited in his chambers for Katherine to emerge from behind the curtains. She appeared with a slight blush on her cheeks and a small smile on her lips. Charles felt a rush of desire for her as he gazed at her with longing in his eyes.

"Are you nervous?" he asked gently.

"I am, just a little bit. Are you?"

He chuckled. "A little." He pulled back the bed's covers invitingly. "Katherine, my love..."

Suddenly she hesitated, a little bit afraid. "Charles, it's been so long..."

"I know that, my darling. I promise you, everything will be all right." She settled in bed beside him, and he began to kiss her. She responded a bit shyly at first, then with passion to equal his own.

"Oh, Charles," she gasped. "I want you so badly..."

He entered her, and they began to make love. Katherine clung to him, moaning in ecstasy as they moved together, weeks of yearning sated at last. When it was over, he held her, and they cuddled.

"You amaze me, Katherine," Charles said. "I never dreamed that under that calm exterior dwelt such potent sensuality."

Katherine giggled, a little bit embarassed. "Was I as good as all the others?"

"Oh, Katherine, there's no comparison. As I told you before, those days are behind me for good. You have absolutely nothing to worry about, my darling. You're all I'll ever need."

His words filled her with joy, and she cuddled closer to him. He hugged her more tightly and kissed the top of her head. "You were born to be a Queen, my darling, and to me you'll always be one in my heart. I don't care what anyone else says."

Tears sprang to her eyes unexpectedly. He kissed them away.

* * *

><p>Elizabeth was sweeping the floor when she heard footsteps and turned to see her beloved, the poet, Thomas Wyatt.<p>

"It makes me so happy to see that you are now living in a much better place," he told her.

"The Duke is very kind," Elizabeth said. "When he married Katherine, he allowed me to remain in her service and to move in with her."

"You look so much healthier and happier, my love," Thomas said. "I do still miss you at court, and would be very happy to see you return, but at least now I can be content knowing that you are well cared for and do not want for anything."

"Save to be always with you, my dear Thomas," she amended.

"You know that I long for the same thing, and hope that it will soon be so," Thomas said. He came to her, and they embraced and kissed. He held her for a long time before turning to go.


	6. Happy News

"Well, that certainly went better than I expected it to," Charles commented as he and Katherine watched Henry ride away on his horse.

"I always knew that Henry would invite you back to court soon, Charles," Katherine replied. "What amazes me is that I was invited back as well."

"It's all because of your willingness to finally admit that your marriage to him is null and void and that you recognize Anne as the new Queen."

"Well, after all, if I were still married to him, I obviously couldn't have married you," Katherine said with a smile. "And the past few weeks have been the happiest of my life. Far happier than any during the time I was married to Henry."

"Don't you miss the moodiness and temper tantrums at all?" Charles teased.

"Not one bit!" They both laughed.

"I can't wait to show my new wife off to everyone," Charles said.

A shadow passed across Katherine's face.

"I know what you're thinking," Charles said quickly. "I assure you, Katherine, you've nothing to worry about at all. Why should I want any of them when I have you? You're worth a thousand of them, and more."

Katherine smiled and blushed with pleasure. "It's not that," she assured him. "It's simply that I have come to love Suffolk Manor and I'm going to miss it."

"I love it too, Katherine." He smiled gently and took both her hands into his own. "Just because we're returning to court doesn't mean that we can't still spend time here as well."

Her face brightened. "Best of all, now I can see Mary as much as I want. I can't wait!"

He laughed and embraced her, and they kissed.

* * *

><p>Thomas Wyatt stood under a tree in the garden. His face lit up and he smiled when he saw Elizabeth walking toward him looking jubilant.<p>

"So are you back at court now?"

She nodded. "His Majesty has allowed both the Duke and the Duchess to return."

"Now we can be married!" He picked her up and twirled her around, then set her back down and kissed her lips.

The wedding of Thomas and Elizabeth was a quiet but joyous affair. It was attended by Charles, Katherine, Mary, and a few other family members and close friends.

"I'm so happy for you," Katherine told Elizabeth afterwards. "You have always been so faithful and loyal to me. I love you like a sister, and I hope that you and Thomas have a long, happy marriage."

That night Elizabeth waited for Thomas in her new chambers, her heart pounding with anticipation. She was very excited and just a little afraid. At last she and Thomas would know one another as husband and wife, and her joy knew no bounds.

The door opened and Thomas appeared. Elizabeth saw the desire in his eyes that mirrored her own.

"My darling!" he murmured as he came closer.

"Thomas, my love!" she replied. "At last I offer my maidenhead to you, as I promised."

Thomas quickly shed his clothing and joined her in bed, where he helped her to remove her gown. He kissed her passionately while his hands roamed all over her body, exploring. Her skin tingled at his touch. She gradually moved her hands down his body until they were touching his hardness, caressing it. He moaned and slid his hand between her legs, finding and stroking her most sensitive spot, getting her ready. When she thought she couldn't bear it any longer and moaned impatiently, she felt him right at her opening, then felt him enter her. There was a sharp pain, and a sensation of wetness, and then he was moving inside her, slowly and gently.

"Am I hurting you?" he asked.

"Oh no, no, that's all right," she whispered.

Soon it was over, and they lay cuddled together, whispering endearments to one another.

"Elizabeth." He spoke her name ever so tenderly. "I've waited so long...so long..."

"I know." She smiled in the darkness. "I've waited so long too."

"Say you'll always be mine..."

"Always, Thomas."

"Always and forever..." She could tell that he was almost asleep.

"Always and forever, my love." She rolled onto her side and closed her eyes, and he curved his body protectively around hers, his arm encircling her waist, his chin resting on top of her head. Soon they were both fast asleep.


	7. What Goes Around

_She found that she was standing in a large white room, alone except for a clean-shaven, middle-aged man wearing bizarre clothing made of a material she couldn't describe. He was sitting behind a desk upon which rested a gigantic book. _

_"Where on earth am I?" she asked._

_"Nowhere." He gave a short, sharp laugh. "Nowhere on _earth, _anyway."_

_"Who are you?" she demanded._

_"Who do you think I am?" He transformed before her eyes. Now he was a very elderly man wearing a long white robe. His hair was a dazzling white and he also had a long white beard. "Now do you recognize me?"_

_"Are you God?" she ventured hesitantly._

_"That's one of my many names, yes. And you are..." He quickly consulted the large volume before him. "Ah, yes. Here you are. Margaret Tudor. Pulmonary tuberculosis. Quite young, which is a shame but unfortunately not at all uncommon, as antibiotics won't be around for another four hundred years or so. But I digress."_

_"Where am I? Is this heaven?"_

_"Do you think you deserve to go to heaven?"_

_"Of course! Why shouldn't I?"_

_He frowned. "As I'm sure you very well know, I take a very dim view of the deliberate taking of innocent human life. A _very _dim view."_

_"What? I'm no murderess!"_

_"On the contrary, madame, did you not once hold a pillow over the face of a sleeping man until he suffocated?"_

_"Well, he was very old! He was going to die soon anyway!"_

_"But you were afraid he wouldn't die soon enough, were you not? Poor, poor Margaret, left to languish in misery beside her geriatric husband while that delicious specimen of masculine virility Charles Brandon married someone else..."_

_"And look what kind of husband he turned out to be! So busy seeing how many different women he could sleep with that he didn't even notice that I was dying!"_

_He laughed heartily. "Paybacks are hell, aren't they? And to think some people actually believe I have no sense of humor..."_

_"To you it's all just one big joke, isn't it?" Furious, she looked around and was acutely frustrated to find that there was absolutely nothing that she could hurl at him._

_"Temper, temper. Most unbecoming in a woman of royal blood."_

_She sagged, conceding defeat. "Well, if this isn't heaven, then is it...the other place, then?"_

_"Look around you, Margaret. Do you see flames? Pitchforks? Red beings with horns and tails?"_

_"Well...no..."_

_"Then this obviously isn't 'the other place', is it?"_

_"What is this place, then? Purgatory?"_

_He looked thoughtful. "Something like that, but not exactly. This is a waiting area where the recently dead remain temporarily until the next leg of their journey is decided upon. In your case, dear Margaret, you are to return to earth, and not only to earth but to Charles Brandon as well. Only this time not as his wife, but as his daughter."_

_"You mean...Charles is to be my _father?"

_"That's what one's male parent is generally referred to as, yes."_

_"And who is to be my mother?"_

_He smirked. "Katherine of Aragon."_

_"Charles and..._Katherine? _But they're such polar opposites, at least in the area of sexual activity..."_

_"Exactly. Never let anyone tell you that I don't have a sense of humor."_

_"Then my former niece, Mary Tudor, is now to be my older half-sister, right?"_

_"My, but you _do _catch on quickly, don't you?"_

_"But...but all of this is _crazy!"

_"Not at all. It's karma."_

* * *

><p>"You have given birth to a fine, healthy girl, my lady," the midwife told Katherine. Katherine, weary from her long, painful labor, reached to hold the newborn, who looked up at her innocently with unfocused blue eyes, the trauma of birth having effectively erased all memories of her previous life on earth. Well, almost all of them.<p>

_What shall I tell Charles? _was the first thought to enter Katherine's mind. She both looked forward to and dreaded seeing her husband again. She well remembered Henry's reaction to the birth of Mary all those years ago.

"Poor little girl," she murmured, stroking the infant's soft, fuzzy head. "I love you so very much, my darling, but life is so very difficult for us at times, as you'll soon discover."

Charles entered the room, all smiles. Katherine couldn't meet his eyes.

"Charles, I'm so sorry..."

"Sh. Not another word." He placed a gentle finger to her lips. "You haven't disappointed me at all, my love. She's absolutely perfect in every way. I'd rather have her than ten sons."

Deeply touched, Katherine began to cry. "I love you so very much, Charles."

"And I love you too, my dearest, more than words can say." Tenderly he kissed her tears away, then turned his attention to his new daughter. "We must think of a name for you, little one." He offered her his finger, which she clasped in her tiny fist. "I've always loved the name Frances."

"If it's all right with you, Charles, I was thinking that perhaps we could name her Charlotte, for you."

"Why, thank you, my dear. I'm deeply honored. And her middle name shall be Katherine."

"Charlotte Katherine Brandon," Katherine whispered, cuddling her daughter, who gurgled contentedly.

"Lottie." Charles smiled fondly at his daughter. One pair of blue eyes looked deeply into another. She knew those eyes. Knew them well.

* * *

><p>In another room in Suffolk Manor, Thomas and Elizabeth Wyatt rejoiced over the birth of their son, named Thomas for his father.<p>

"I'm so proud of you, my love. You've done so very well." Thomas tenderly kissed his wife's cheek.

"I can't believe how much he looks like you," Elizabeth told him.

"I can see traces of you in him as well," Thomas replied.

"I can't imagine life being any more perfect than this." Elizabeth leaned back into the warmth and softness of her husband's comforting embrace.


	8. As Fate Would Have It

While happiness reigned supreme at Suffolk manor, the opposite was true for Whitehall Palace. Henry had married Anne Boleyn in secret, and a few months later, their daughter Elizabeth had been born. Disappointed at the birth of another daughter, Henry nevertheless still hoped to have a son with Anne, but as she had one miscarriage and then another, his hopes began to fade.

A new family, the Seymours, came to court. They consisted of a father, John, two sons, Edward and Thomas, and a daughter, Jane. Henry quickly became enamoured with Jane Seymour, and at the same time, he began to suspect that Anne hadn't been a virgin after all when he had first slept with her, and may even have taken lovers while they had been together.

"I tried to warn him what she was really like, but he wouldn't listen," Charles told Katherine. "Now he's had to find out the hard way."

"You know, Charles, that I have never slept with any man that I wasn't married to," Katherine said quietly.

"I know that, my darling. I've never doubted you for even a minute." He came to her and embraced and kissed her tenderly. "Sometimes I simply can't believe how lucky I am."

"Well, I think I'm pretty lucky as well."

"I'm so glad you think so."

"I _know _so."

"I love you, Kathy." His voice was husky.

"I love you too, Charles." Their bodies were pressed together, and she could feel his desire building. Her own body began to respond.

"Tonight," he whispered, tenderly kissing her cheek.

Lottie grew to be a beautiful baby with clear blue eyes and chubby cheeks. She met Henry VIII for the first time when she was six months old and her father brought her to the King to show her off. Henry just gazed into her eyes for a minute, stunned.

"It's _you," _he whispered incredulously, as Charles looked on, puzzled.

Within a couple of years, Lottie and little Thomas Wyatt were both busily toddling around Suffolk Manor. Lottie was a bright, sunny child, very sociable and curious about everything. Little Thomas was quieter, content to sit playing with his blocks for long periods at a time. Lottie learned to talk earlier. Elizabeth grew concerned, as her young son still made plenty of baby noises but didn't seem to have spoken any real words.

"It almost sounds as if he's speaking Spanish," his father commented once while listening to little Thomas babble.

"I hadn't noticed before, but I think you're right!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

One day not long afterwards, little Thomas and Lottie were playing together while Katherine and Elizabeth sat watching their children, and Thomas began to babble again as he had done before.

"Is that Spanish he's speaking?" Elizabeth asked Katherine.

"No, it's Portuguese. He speaks it fluently as well."

Elizabeth was shocked. "But how could that be, when he's never been around anyone who speaks Portuguese?"

"The Lord works in mysterious ways," Katherine replied. "Perhaps it is His will for your son to become a missionary to the Portuguese."

"But why would the Portuguese need a missionary?"

"It's not our place to question the works of the Lord. He has a purpose for His every gift," Katherine said firmly.

The next time Katherine saw Charles, he brought more news of the King and Queen.

"Anne has miscarried a third time," he told her. "The baby was deformed. Henry suspects that its father was Anne's brother George. He's beside himself with rage."

"I have news for you as well, Charles," Katherine said. "I believe I'm once again with child."

_A/N: Thanks to Good Work for the idea for this chapter. :)_


	9. Temptation

Charles' face registered joy tempered with concern. "I think that you should remain at Suffolk Manor until our child is born, darling, as I fear that the goings-on at court may have an adverse affect on your health, or that of our child."

Katherine knew that he was thinking of the Queen's recent miscarriage and feared a similar outcome with her own pregnancy.

"I shall do as you wish, Charles, although I shall miss you when you are at court."

"I shall miss you as well, my love, but I must be about the King's business when he has need of my services. I shall spend as much time as I can here with you, and look forward to the day our child is safely born and our worries are behind us." Katherine gave a small smile, and he gently lifted her chin and kissed her lips. Then he picked two-year-old Lottie up and grinned at her.

"How about that, Lottie? You're going to have a new baby brother or sister soon!"

"Baby!" said Lottie, grinning back at her father.

* * *

><p>As it turned out, Henry did indeed have need of Charles' services very shortly afterwards. The King and Thomas Cromwell jointly spearheaded an investigation into charges of adultery against the Queen and four noblemen, including her own brother, George, and one commoner, the musician Mark Smeaton. Charles was to be in charge of some routine administrative duties while the investigation was underway.<p>

One night during the period, Charles returned to his bedchambers at court to find a strange woman waiting for him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, taken aback.

"His majesty sent me to you to provide you with companionship." She smiled sweetly, seductively. "My name is Margaret Shelton, but most people call me Madge."

Charles felt a familiar longing stirring in his loins, but at the same time he saw Katherine's trusting face in his mind. _Not even Henry loved me enough to give up his mistresses..._ Then the cold, white face of Margaret lying in her casket. _Thank you, God, for giving me this second chance..._

"You're very beautiful, Madge, but I must decline your offer of companionship."

"But why, your grace? His Majesty told me that your wife is with child. Is it not to be expected that a man seek companionship elsewhere in that circumstance?"

"It may be the expected thing, but it isn't what I wish."

Madge looked so disappointed that he felt a little sorry for her. "I'm sure there are many other men at court who would be more than happy for you to provide them with companionship tonight."

When she left, he looked after her with a look that was half longing, half shame.

* * *

><p>In the end, George Boleyn, Mark Smeaton, Henry Norris, William Brerenger, and Francis Weston were all found guilty of adultery with the Queen and sentenced to death. Anne herself was also sentenced to death, but her execution was to take place a couple of days after the others, as it was to be by sword rather than axe. A swordsman from Calais would be summoned for the occasion.<p>

Soon afterwards, Charles rode out to Suffolk Manor to visit his family. Little Lottie saw him coming and ran to meet him.

"Papa!" she cried joyfully.

"How's my girl?" He playfully tossed her up into the air, then hugged her and kissed her cheek. Katherine appeared a moment later, and Charles saw that her abdomen was slightly more rounded than the last time he had seen her. Her face lit up with joy at the sight of her husband, and at that moment, Charles was profoundly glad that he had resisted the temptation of a night with Madge Shelton.


	10. A Double Blessing

Charles stood with the rest of the crowd, watching as Anne Boleyn, a white cap covering her hair, was escorted onto the scaffold. To one side stood the priest, and to the other stood the hooded executioner holding his sword. All became deathly quiet as Anne began to speak.

"Good Christian people, I come hither to die, for according to the law, and by the law I am judged to die. I pray God save the King and send him long to reign over you, for a gentler nor a more merciful prince was there never, and to me he was ever a good, a gentle and sovereign lord. And thus I take my leave of the world and of you all, and I heartily desire you all to pray for me. O Lord have mercy on me, to God I commend my soul."

Anne's ladies removed her cloak, and Anne removed her white pearl earrings and necklace. She handed the executioner a small bag, and then a blindfold was tied around her eyes. A single strand of hair peeked out from beneath the white cap; the executioner gently tucked it back under. Anne's lips moved swiftly, almost silently.

"To Jesus Christ I commend my soul. Lord Jesus receive my soul."

As Anne waited to die, all Charles could think of was Katherine. Katherine sleeping alone in her cold bed night after night while her husband sampled the delights of other beds in the palace. Katherine kneeling at her prie dieu, clutching her rosary and begging the Virgin to grant her request for a son. Katherine hearing for the first time that her marriage was cursed by God, that her daughter was a product of incest and therefore a bastard. Katherine being forced to leave the only home she had known since leaving Spain all those years ago. Katherine being told that she could never see or even write to her own daughter again. Charles felt such overwhelming tenderness for his wife that he could think of nothing else.

The sword performed its deadly task. Anne's lifeless body lay bleeding in the straw. Charles crossed himself.

Katherine waited for him in the field as he rode home, her gently rounded belly seeming more beautiful than ever to Charles.

"Is it done?" she asked.

He nodded.

Katherine crossed herself. "I shall pray for her soul."

"As shall I," Charles said quietly. His arms closed around her body and he stood there for a long time, just holding her.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

"Yes." He tilted her chin so that he could look into her eyes and gently kissed her lips. A chaste but affectionate kiss. "I love you, Katherine."

"I love you too, Charles." Together they turned and went inside.

Charles held his wife's body extra close in bed that night.

* * *

><p>The twins, Arthur and Edward, were born a few months later. Katherine looked tired but radiant, sitting up in bed and holding one baby in each arm. Charles' heart swelled with love for her.<p>

"They're beautiful," he said softly. "I'm so proud of you."

Lottie was fascinated by her new baby brothers, constantly wanting to touch their delicate skin and their soft, silky hair. Charles and Katherine found it a real challenge to avoid dampening her enthusiasm while at the same time urging her to always be gentle around the babies. She invited her little playmate Thomas to join her in admiring them.

"You have two babies and I don't have any babies," Thomas complained.

"Maybe your Mama will have a baby, too. Or two babies, like my Mama did," Lottie said cheerfully.

At Whitehall Palace, Henry was unable to hide his displeasure when Charles told him of the happy event. Henry's new wife, Jane Seymour, still showed no signs of being with child even after several months of marriage.

"I thought that she was no longer able to conceive, yet now she has given you not one, but two sons," he said sourly.

"God has indeed blessed us," Charles agreed.

"They should have been mine," Henry said softly.

Charles, stunned by his friend's brusqueness but of course not daring to respond in kind, said nothing more.


	11. Spiders and Thunderstorms

_One minute she was standing on the Tower Green preparing to die, and the next she was standing in a dazzling white room facing a man who was also dressed in dazzling white. He was very nice looking, with dark brown hair and eyes and a moustache. In fact, he reminded her quite a bit of...but that had been so long ago. Ever so long ago._

_"Greetings, Anne Boleyn, and welcome." He smiled warmly at her._

_"Is it done, then?" she asked softly. He said nothing, just continued to smile. "I suppose it is, then." She answered her own question._

_"So you learned the hard way that there's frequently a heavy price to be paid for getting 'ahead' in life, did you?"_

_She just stared at him, flabbergasted._

_"In the end it doesn't always pay to be a 'cut' above the others, does it?"_

_She frowned at him darkly. "Why, you..."_

_He raised his hands in concession. "Very well. I'll give up the gallows humor, as I can see that it doesn't amuse you at all, and I don't blame you one bit. It wouldn't amuse me either if I were you."_

_"But where am I now? Is this heaven?"_

_"Departed souls don't always go directly to heaven, my dear. Sometimes they return to earth in a new body to complete unfinished business from a previous life."_

_"So am I now to be reborn as a different person, then?"_

_"Precisely."_

_"But as whom?"_

_"Does the name Thomas Wyatt sound familiar?"_

_"He was such a sweetheart!" She smiled and clapped her hands together. "Is he to be my husband in my new life, then?"_

_"Not your husband. Your father."_

* * *

><p>Lottie and Thomas played together in a park with some of the other children whose parents were at court. A mother called to her young daughter.<p>

"Maggie!"

Lottie and another little girl both looked up simultaneously.

"Is your name Maggie too?" the woman asked Lottie.

"No! It's Lottie!" _But it used to be Maggie. _How did she know that?

"My name used to be Maggie a long time ago," Lottie told Thomas later.

"I used to have another name, too," Thomas replied. "Manuel the first of the House of Aviz-Beja," he said grandly.

"Wow." Lottie was impressed. "You used to know another language, too."

"I guess I used to, but since I've learned English I've forgotten most of it."

* * *

><p>It was a stormy night with a lot of thunder and lightening. Thomas, who was terrified of thunderstorms, begged Lottie to spend the night with him in his bedroom. Lottie lay in bed with her arms around her friend until they were both sound asleep.<p>

Something awakened Lottie a couple of hours later and caused her to sit up in alarm. On the floor lay Thomas' pillow. He had an intense fear of suffocation and couldn't stand to sleep in bed with a pillow. Lottie looked at her friend sleeping soundly beside her and gasped in horror. A large, hairy spider crept across the mattress toward Thomas. It was only inches from his face. Without thinking, Lottie snatched the pillow from the floor, flung it on top of the spider, and pressed down as hard as she could. Thomas awoke and began to scream. Lottie, fixated on killing the spider, turned and sat on the pillow. When she lifted the pillow a few seconds later, she saw the spider lying motionless underneath it.

"It's all right, Thomas," she said. "It's dead now. I killed it."

Thomas' frightened eyes grew wider as he saw the dead spider for the first time. Lottie picked it up and carried it to the waste basket, then returned to sit on the bed beside Thomas.

"I had a bad dream, Lottie," Thomas said. "I dreamed that you had a pillow and were holding it over my face so I couldn't breathe. Then I woke up and saw you holding the pillow and got really scared. I didn't know you were using it to kill a spider."

"Of course I was, silly. You know I'd never do anything like that to you."

Both children lay back down and were soon fast asleep once more.


	12. Philip Of Bavaria Part One

"Ouch! You stepped on my foot!" he shouted, hobbling across the dance floor.

"I'm so sorry! Are you all right?" She struggled to keep up with him. He reached the curtain and pulled her behind it after himself, and his expression changed immediately.

"You didn't really step on my foot," Philip of Bavaria told Mary. "I just said that to get you alone."

Her heart began to race as she looked into his eyes. She had wanted to be alone with him every bit as badly as he had wanted it.

She closed her eyes as his lips softly touched hers. It was her first kiss, and it was magic.

Katherine could tell that there was something different about Mary the next time she saw her daughter. Mary's eyes seemed to have a faraway look in them, and Katherine caught her smiling to herself more than once. "You remind me of the way I was when I first met your Uncle Arthur," Katherine told her daughter.

Mary beamed. "The Duke of Bavaria has come to England to ask for my hand in marriage. His name is Philip, and he's the most handsome and kindest man I've ever met. I do hope that my father will give his permission for us to marry."

"I hope the same, my dear. I want more than anything for you to be happy."

Later Katherine was having a pretend tea party with Lottie while Charles sat with one twin on each knee. The two boys, who looked identical to one another, were already beginning to show radically different personalities. Arthur was bold and adventurous, amazing his parents with the amount of energy in his tiny body, while Edward was quiet and reflective, content to sit for long periods of time engaged in one activity.

"Arthur is our future soldier, and Edward is our future diplomat," Charles joked.

"It's amazing how quickly our little ones grow up," Katherine added. "Can you believe my Mary is already thinking of marriage?"

"Really? That's wonderful! Who is he?"

"His name is Philip, and he's the Duke of Bavaria. Mary seems to be absolutely mad about him."

"She's been through so much," Charles said softly. "I do hope things work out for her."

Just then little Thomas arrived. "Mama's having the baby," he announced.

"Oh, my goodness!" Katherine left Thomas, Lottie, and the twins with Charles and hurried to Elizabeth's bedchambers, where the midwife was encouraging Elizabeth, who was doubled over with pain. Elizabeth looked up and saw Katherine.

"Katherine!" she exclaimed.

"It's all right, darling." Katherine rushed to her friend's side and held her. Immediately Elizabeth seemed more calm.

"You're doing wonderfully. It'll all be over with very soon."

Elizabeth groaned and cried out as the newborn slid from her body.

"It's a girl!" the midwife exclaimed as the newborn let out a lusty wail.

"She's beautiful, Elizabeth," Katherine told her friend.

"Oh, Thomas!" Tears of joy rolled down Elizabeth's face as she held her new daughter for the first time.

"I'll send him right in," Katherine promised.

Thomas waited just outside the door. "Is everything all right?" he asked anxiously.

"Everything's fine." Katherine smiled. "You have a beautiful new daughter."

Thomas rushed to his wife's side, and Katherine hurried back to her own family. Charles had put the twins to bed for the night, and Lottie and little Thomas were fast asleep on the sofa.

"How did it go?" Charles walked up to his wife and gently put his arms around her.

"Everything's fine. They have a new baby daughter." Katherine was suddenly exhausted. She rested her head on her husband's shoulder and closed her eyes. Charles held her close and gently rubbed her back.

"That's wonderful," he said, kissing the top of Katherine's head. "A new playmate for the twins when they're a bit older."

A few days later Charles was strolling the grounds of Whitehall Palace when he came upon his stepdaughter sitting on a bench beside a pond, crying her heart out.

"Mary! What on earth is wrong?"

Mary turned her red, swollen eyes to see her stepfather looking down at her with a face of deep concern.

"My father has sent Philip back to his home," she sobbed. "He...he refuses to give us permission to marry."


	13. Philip Of Bavaria Part Two

Philip of Bavaria returned home with a broken heart. When he had first seen Mary Tudor, it had been love at first sight. She was beautiful, intelligent, and obviously devoted to God, everything he could ask for in a wife. He had so hoped for the honor of returning to Bavaria with Mary as his new bride. Yet her father, Henry VIII, had squashed his hopes by flatly refusing Mary's hand in marriage.

_At least I tried, _Philip told himself with a heavy sigh. He knew that there were many other eligible and desirable princesses from various other European kingdoms, but none of them were Mary, and he doubted that any of them would ever be able to take her place in his heart.

* * *

><p>Henry looked up with pleasure at the sight of his oldest and dearest friend.<p>

"To what do I owe the honor of this visit, Charles?" he asked.

"It's your daughter Mary, Your Grace," Charles told him. "I just met up with her in the garden. She's absolutely devastated."

Henry's face grew hard. "Is she, then, that besotted with the Bavarian duke I sent away?"

"She loves him, Your Grace."

Henry gave a short, sharp laugh. "Love? What does the Lady Mary know of love?"

"I know she's young, Your Grace, but I believe that she truly does love him. She seems completely inconsolable."

The King began to pace back and forth. "She should consider what is best for her father and her country rather than her own selfish desires."

"Your Grace, if you had but seen the look on her face when she spoke of him, you wouldn't consider her selfish at all. It was the same look Your Grace's dear departed sister Margaret once bore for me."

"Margaret. God rest her soul." Henry looked very sad, and a little angry. "Gone before her time, surely due in no small part to the actions of a selfish, neglectful husband."

"Your Grace realizes that I sincerely regret any part I may have played in her untimely demise and would give anything for the chance to undo the harm I did her."

"So you have come to me with the assumption that pleading on the Lady Mary's behalf will somehow cancel out the wrong you did Margaret?"

"No, Your Grace. I realize that that wrong can never be canceled out. I come to you only out of concern for Mary's welfare and happiness."

"Very well, Charles. I will reconsider my rejection of Philip of Bavaria's request for the hand of my daughter in marriage, although of course it is unlikely that my original position in the matter will change."

* * *

><p>"Prepare to travel to Bavaria," Charles told his stepdaughter. "Your father the King has given permission for you to marry Philip and join him there."<p>

"Oh, Charles!" Mary was so happy that she flew to her stepfather and hugged him tightly. He laughed happily as he hugged her back.

"You know how stubborn he is, Charles. How'd you ever get him to change his mind?"

"That's my little secret." He grinned and winked at her.

* * *

><p>Katherine waited anxiously for her husband to return from Bavaria. Although sad at the prospect of not knowing when she would see her older daughter again, she was thrilled beyond words for Mary to be marrying the man she loved and beginning a new life with him in Bavaria, and deeply grateful for Charles' intervention in the issue.<p>

At last Charles appeared on horseback. He dismounted and Katherine rushed into his arms.

"I'm so relieved that you have made it home safely," she told him. "Lottie has developed a bad cough, and it seems to have gotten worse over the day. I've been so concerned about her."

"I must see her right away!" Charles rushed straight to his daughter's bedroom, where he found the little girl sitting up in bed coughing and wheezing, her little face red from the strain. _Just like..._

Charles felt his heart sink. _Oh dear God, please no...not again..._


	14. Home At Last

Philip of Bavaria was, of course, thrilled to see Mary.

"My father has given permission for us to wed," she told him.

"I'm so happy! I thought this day would never come." Philip embraced her warmly.

Philip and Mary's wedding was beautiful. Mary wore a lacy white dress with a long train which was carried by Philip's young cousin, and Philip himself was dashing in a black doublet with gold trim and buttons and a black hat with a gold hat pin. Mary's heart beat faster at the sight of him. She suddenly couldn't wait until she was alone with him.

The chapel in Bavaria was huge. Mary gazed in wonder at the ceiling, which seemed miles above her head. She felt tiny by comparison. She felt Philip's arm strong and secure around her waist and was warmed and cheered by his presence. And to think that she owed it all to her stepfather, Charles Brandon, who had a way with Henry that no one else did. She owed all this happiness to him and didn't know how she could ever repay him.

They spoke their vows clearly and confidently, and finally Philip lifted Mary's veil and kissed her lips. His lips were warm and inviting, and they sent a shiver down Mary's spine. Dancing followed the ceremony. Mary was passed from one Bavarian nobleman to another, but her heart yearned for Philip and leaped with joy once she was in his arms once more.

It pounded with anticipation as she waited in her unfamiliar bedchambers for her new husband that night. She had but the vaguest of ideas as to what was to follow. She had heard that it may involve a small amount of pain and so was a bit anxious but was much more so excited. She heard him enter and jumped. He laughed.

"It's only me, my love." He came to her and sat beside her on the bed and kissed her lips warmly and sensuously.

"Are you afraid?" he asked.

"A little bit," she admitted.

"Don't be. I'll be just as gentle as possible," he promised.

They both lay back on the bed and kissed some more. Mary felt desire building up inside her body like the opening of a flower in the morning. Philip's hands were all over her, exploring. She used her hands to explore his body as well.

Their final coming together was very natural, very tender. As Mary had expected, there was some slight pain, but in the intensity of the moment, she barely noticed it. As Philip moved inside her, she knew that she was home at last.

* * *

><p>"We must have her seen by the physician tomorrow," Katherine said.<p>

"This can't wait until tomorrow. I'm taking her to him today." Charles gently gathered his daughter into his arms and left for the physician.

The physician was just getting ready to end his work day when Charles arrived holding little Lottie.

"Please, sir, I beseech you. My daughter is very ill," Charles begged.

One look at Lottie and the physician was instantly concerned. "Bring her right on in," he told Charles. As he quickly examined her his expression grew very grave. At last he fetched a bottle of medicine and gave a spoonful to Lottie. Then he handed the bottle to Charles.

"You must give her this medicine again tonight before she goes to bed, and three times a day afterwards until her symptoms are gone. I'm so very glad you brought her to me right away. If you had waited until tomorrow it might well have been too late."

Charles held his daughter tightly as he hurried home with her. The thought of how very close he had come to losing her made him quake with fear. He couldn't bear the thought of having to go on without his pretty, bright, spirited daughter.

Katherine saw the look on his face and turned pale.

"It's all right, love," Charles said soothingly. "I got her to the doctor in time. He was able to save her. She's going to be fine."

"Oh, Charles." Katherine took Lottie from his arms and laid her gently on the bed. "I'm so glad you took her to him today."

"So am I." Charles' voice was choked.

Katherine tucked Lottie in and kissed her hot forehead. Charles lingered a moment, looking down at his daughter's pale face. Her eyes caught his, and with a shock of amazement, he suddenly knew.

_"It really **is **you, isn't it?"_

_"Of course it's me."_

_"Oh dear God...I'm so sorry..."_

_"There's nothing to be sorry about. This time you saved me. This time you cared."_

_"Of course I care, darling. I love you more than words could ever say."_

_"Yet you love Katherine now."_

_"I love Katherine as a husband loves his wife, and I love you as a father loves his daughter, as that is what you are to me now."_

_Silence._

_"Please, please don't feel sad. I love you no less than I ever did. Much more, in fact. Only in a different way now."_

"Papa?" Lottie spoke audibly for the first time since returning home.

"Yes, love?"

"Everything's all right now, isn't it?"

"Yes, darling. Everything's fine now." Hot tears flowed down Charles' cheeks as he embraced his little girl. "I love you so much, Lottie. So very, very much. More than you'll ever know."

"I love you too, Papa."


	15. Birth Of A Prince

Katherine was worried sick. Charles should have returned from court days ago. She couldn't imagine what could have held him up for so long. She hoped that illness wasn't sweeping the court and that war hadn't unexpectedly broken out. Daily she prayed for his safety, and for his swift return. Her heart leaped for joy when she finally saw him arriving in the distance one day. He dismounted and embraced her tightly.

"I'm so sorry for my delay," he told her. "I hope that all is well with you and the children."

"All is well with us except that, of course, we have sorely missed you."

"As I have sorely missed you all," Charles said. "I came just as quickly as I could. Much has happened recently. England now has a new Prince, but the Queen...she survived but twelve days after his birth."

Charles embraced Katherine again and held her as if he would never let her go. Katherine was shocked and didn't know quite how to respond.

"Henry is beside himself with grief," Charles continued. "He remains in seclusion and speaks to no one but his fool, Will Somers."

"I shall pray for her soul," Katherine said, crossing herself. It was all she could think of to say. Henry finally had what he had wanted all these years, a legitimate male heir, but it had come at the cost of the Queen's life. Katherine knew that Henry would be fine. In no time at all a new lady at court would catch his eye, and Queen Jane Seymour would be nothing but a distant memory.

* * *

><p>In Bavaria Mary received the news of her half brother's birth and her stepmother's death with equanimity.<p>

"I shall never be Queen now, as my father finally has the legitimate son he has always wanted," she told Philip.

"Does that distress you, my love?" asked Philip.

"I have come to love Bavaria and consider it my home. If I never see England again I still shall die content," Mary replied. Philip smiled and kissed her.

* * *

><p>Life returned to normal for the Brandons. Charles took his wife and children on picnics and for rides in the country. The Brandons remained close friends with the Wyatts, who accompanied them on many of their outings. Charles taught Lottie and little Thomas Wyatt how to swim. He had become much closer to his daughter after her close brush with death. Often when he looked into her eyes he could see traces of Margaret there. He came to cherish his newly formed bond with Lottie.<p>

Little Katherine Wyatt, nicknamed Kitty, grew to be a beautiful, happy, pleasant baby. She had big blue eyes and also seemed to share a special bond with her father, the older Thomas. Thomas and Elizabeth were still very much in love, and the birth of little Kitty seemed to have completed their happiness.

The twins, Arthur and Edward, were charmed with little Kitty and loved to pat her on the top of her fuzzy head. They were always very gentle with her, as if innately realizing how fragile she was.

"She's going to be a real beauty someday," her father predicted. "I suspect we'll practically have to fight off the suitors when she's older."

"I think she already realizes that," Elizabeth said with a laugh. "Look at those eyes of hers. They look just like dark hooks for the soul, don't they?"

Kitty developed a habit of clutching at her neck, as if reassuring herself that it was still there. For a while her parents were concerned that she might be suffering from a sore throat. However, as she seemed perfectly well and in no pain at all, they gradually came to accept that it was simply a peculiar mannerism of hers.

Charles was eventually summoned to court again.

"Thomas Cromwell has brokered a marriage of convenience between Henry and Anne, the daughter of the Duke of Cleves," he told Katherine. "He wants me to go to Germany to escort his new bride back to London."

"I shall miss you so. We all shall," Katherine replied sadly.

"Please don't look so sad, my love." Charles' voice was full of compassion as he gently touched his wife's cheek. "It shall be but a brief journey and then I shall return home to you to stay."

Katherine smiled bravely. "I wish you a safe journey. May God be with you."


	16. The New Queen

When Charles first saw Anne of Cleves, he noticed that she had pock marks on her face, reminders of a past bout with smallpox. Even so, he thought that she looked quite lovely.

"I want to please the King," she told Charles. He thought she had a lovely voice as well. "Tell me, what types of things does he like to do?"

"He enjoys playing cards." Charles couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Will you teach me how to play, then?"

"Certainly."

Charles was impressed by how quickly Anne learned to play cards. For the rest of the voyage back to England, he enjoyed conversing with her and came to admire not only her intelligence but her social graces as well. He felt sure that Henry would be able and willing to look past her physical imperfections as well.

* * *

><p>In Bavaria, Philip and Mary strolled the grounds of Neuburg Castle hand in hand, admiring the scenery around them. Mary looked at the snow-covered mountains in the distance and shuddered involuntarily.<p>

"Are you cold, my love?" asked Philip.

"I'm fine," Mary replied. "I was just thinking how insignificant the hills of my homeland seem by comparison to the mountains of Bavaria."

"I've always considered the mountains to be one of our most beautiful features, besides you, of course," Philip laughed.

Mary blushed at the compliment. "I wonder whether the rest of Germany is as lovely as Bavaria. Cleves, for example."

"It's in the valley of the Rhine river along the border with the Netherlands. It's lovely, but I have to admit I am partial to my own beautiful home. Why the sudden interest in Cleves?"

"I have heard that my father seeks to marry one of the daughters of the Duke of Cleves."

Philip looked surprised. "They are distant relatives of mine."

Mary smiled. "Speaking of relatives, I have news that will make you smile. I have recently discovered that I'm with child."

"Mary, my love!" Philip laughed happily and embraced his wife. "That is indeed wonderful news! For how long have you known?"

"Only since yesterday. I was seeking the perfect moment to tell you."

"Well, I think you found it." Philip kissed her. "You have made me very happy, my dear. I do so look forward to having an heir."

"But, Philip..." Mary was suddenly overcome with apprehension, so much so that she could barely get the next words out. "What if it's a girl?"

Philip's expression changed from one of happiness to one of concern. He gently touched Mary's chin. "Are you afraid, my love?"

Mary nodded as tears came to her eyes. Philip gently took her into his arms and held her.

"It will be all right, my darling. If we have a daughter, we shall love her no less."

Mary smiled with relief, thinking how fortunate she was and how much she loved her husband.

* * *

><p>Charles felt optimistic as he and Anne of Cleves arrived at Whitehall Palace. He knew how melancholy the death of Jane Seymour had made King Henry and felt sure that his new bride would make him smile once more.<p>

He was completely unprepared for Henry's reaction when he was finally introduced to Anne of Cleves.


	17. Private Tears

"I like her not!" Henry shouted, striding back and forth animatedly. "She has the face of a horse!"

Charles was startled by the intensity of Henry's emotion. He knew that Anne of Cleves was no great beauty, but he certainly hadn't expected such vehement dislike on the part of Henry after having only just met the woman.

Henry, unable to get out of the marriage contract, went ahead with the wedding, and the two were married on January 6, 1540 at the Palace of Placentia in Greenwich. More disappointment was to follow.

* * *

><p>"I don't think I can take it anymore!" Mary shrieked to the ceiling. Hair damp with perspiration was plastered to her forehead, and her fingers grasped frantically at the rumpled sheets.<p>

"You're doing very well, my lady. Give me one more big push." The midwife spoke calmly from her position at the foot of the bed.

Mary groaned, screamed, and pushed with all her might. She felt enormous pressure, skin stretched taut and then ripped, and then a sudden release. A moment of complete silence was followed by the wails of a newborn.

"Congratulations, my lady! You have a new son!" someone told Mary. She felt tremendous relief and then a rush of joy.

"Oh, let me see him!" she cried. Someone handed her the infant, wrapped in a blanket.

She looked down into the red, wrinkled face and felt overwhelming love. He looked so much like his father.

"Mary!" Suddenly Philip was there, smiling down on her and lightly stroking her hair.

"He's beautiful, isn't he?" Mary said.

Philip nodded agreement. "You've done very well, my love."

The baby began to whimper, and Mary held him close to her breast while Philip's hand gently caressed the fuzzy little head.

"I've always loved the name Victor," he suggested.

"I've not heard it before, but I think it's beautiful," Mary agreed.

"Victor it is, then," Philip said, embracing his wife and kissing her cheek. Mary sighed with contentment, grateful to be married to the man she loved and living in the country she loved. Now that she had given Philip a son, her happiness was complete.

* * *

><p>Thomas Wyatt awakened and lay gazing at his sleeping wife. To him, Elizabeth was still just as beautiful as she had been the day he had first met her, and he loved her now more than ever. As she shifted in her sleep, a lock of hair fell across her face, and Thomas gently tucked it behind her ear. He felt a wave of desire and was torn between not wanting to disturb her sleep and, at the same time, wanting to wake her so that they could make love.<p>

"Papa! Mama!" Thomas' reverie was interrupted by young Thomas and little Kitty running excitedly into the bedroom. Young Thomas dived enthusiastically onto the bed between her parents, while Kitty with her too-short legs struggled to follow him. Laughingly, her father picked her up and sat her on the bed beside her brother. Elizabeth, awakened by the childrens' shouting, reached to hug them both.

"Good morning, love," Thomas said, kissing his wife's lips.

"Morning." Elizabeth smiled lazily as she rumpled young Thomas' hair.

"It's a beautiful day for a picnic in the country, don't you think?" asked Thomas.

"Hurray!" shouted both children.

Later, Thomas and Elizabeth sat on a quilt watching their children play hide and seek behind the trees.

"I simply can't believe how quickly they're both growing," Thomas remarked. "Sometimes I almost miss the way they were as tiny babies."

"You'll have another tiny baby to hold soon enough," Elizabeth said with a smile.

"Do you mean to tell me that you're with child again?"

Elizabeth nodded, and with a whoop of joy, her husband embraced and kissed her.

* * *

><p>As he contemplated the unpleasant task before him, Charles had a very strong sense of <em>deja vu. <em>He vividly remembered how he had felt when he had had to tell Katherine that, despite her protests, her marriage to Henry had come to an end, how devastated she had obviously been yet how graciously she had received the news. He couldn't help but wonder how Anne of Cleves would react when he relayed what was essentially the same message to her.

"In exchange for your agreement to annul your non-consummated marriage, the King is prepared to offer you Hever Castle as well as a settlement of four thousand pounds per year," he told her.

"Very well," she replied. Charles, startled by how calmly she seemed to have taken the news, bid her farewell and went to tell Henry that she had agreed to his terms. He never realized that as soon as he was out of earshot, Anne of Cleves broke down and began to sob as if her heart would break.


	18. Endings And Beginnings

"It was one of the most difficult things I've ever had to do in my life," Charles told Katherine. They had just made love, and she lay in his arms listening as he described his recent conversation with Anne of Cleves. "It reminded me so of the previous time I had to bear such news to a lady of honor and virtue." His voice quivered just a little at the memory, and he held Katherine as if he would never let her go.

"Please don't feel sad for me, Charles. Such happiness is now mine as a result."

"I do love you so, my brave lady, even more now than before," Charles whispered into her hair.

"As I do you," she replied in a voice just as low.

"So, how fares young Victor?"

"The most recent letter from Mary says that he does well, is gaining weight and recognizing faces, even smiling sometimes. It's such a pity she hasn't a portrait to send yet."

"Does it make you feel old, then, to already be a grandmother?" In the dark she couldn't see his smile, but she could hear it in his voice.

"Not when I have you to keep me feeling young." She laughed as her arms reached around his neck.

* * *

><p>With a heavy heart, Anne of Cleves prepared to leave Whitehall Palace. As she was walking toward the exit, she nearly collided with a young man who was walking in the opposite direction.<p>

"Please forgive me, my lady. I'm terribly sorry," the young man said. Anne saw that he had warm brown eyes, curly light brown hair, and a friendly smile. He looked to be around her own age.

"It's quite all right," Anne replied, doing her best to smile.

"Is everything all right? You look a bit distressed." The young man frowned with concern.

"I have just received the news that my marriage to the King has been annulled and that I am to leave the Palace."

"Oh! So you are Anne of Cleves."

"Yes." She managed a tiny smile.

"It's lovely to meet you. My name is Gregory Cromwell." The young man smiled pleasantly and kissed her proffered hand.

"Are you related to Thomas Cromwell? He arranged the marriage between myself and the King."

"Thomas is my father. I'm terribly sorry that things didn't work out for you."

"That's all right," Anne said bravely. "The King has given me a lovely home in the country and a very generous income."

"You plan to remain in England, then."

"Yes. This is my home now."

"I'm certainly glad to hear it. Perhaps I could call on you sometime?"

"Why, that would be lovely!" Anne's smile was genuine and heartfelt this time.

* * *

><p>Thomas and Elizabeth Wyatt named their second daughter Evelyn. From the very beginning, it was obvious that her personality was the exact opposite of Kitty's. Whereas Kitty tended to be impatient, headstrong, stubborn, and demanding, Evelyn was very pleasant and easy-going. She hardly ever cried and seemed to have a sunny smile for everyone.<p>

"It's hard to believe that Kitty and Evelyn were both born to the same two parents, isn't it?" Elizabeth laughingly asked her husband one day.

"They're certainly as different from one another as night is from day," Thomas agreed.

Kitty was very jealous of her new baby sister and never failed to make her feelings known. One day she snatched a toy away from Evelyn, and the baby began to cry.

"She can't have it! It's mine!" Kitty said, angrily stalking away.

"But honey, that's a baby toy! You've outgrown it!" Elizabeth protested, attempting to retrieve the toy from Kitty, who clung to it stubbornly and glared at her mother. Just then Kitty's father, Thomas, came in. He was holding a new doll, which he promptly handed to Kitty.

Kitty's eyes lit up when she saw it, and the baby toy was promptly forgotten as she dropped it on the floor and reached for her new doll.

"Oh, Papa! She's beautiful!" Kitty exclaimed happily. Thomas smiled fondly at his older daughter as Elizabeth quietly picked the baby toy up, cleaned it, and gave it back to Evelyn, who stopped crying.

"Whatever would I do without you?" she asked her husband, who laughed and kissed her lips.

* * *

><p>"You'll never in a million years guess who Henry has taken for a fifth wife," Charles told Katherine. She saw how his eyes danced with amusement and couldn't wait to hear his news.<p>

"His new bride is Katherine Howard, first cousin of the late Anne Boleyn. She's seventeen years old and very beautiful, and also quite high-spirited and fun-loving. It'll be interesting to see how successful Henry is at keeping up with her." Charles laughed.

"Does he still have problems with his leg?" asked Katherine.

"It's both legs now, and they've gotten worse. His ulcers sometimes fail to rupture on their own and must be lanced. Henry screams in pain every time that has to be done, and it's a terrible thing to hear. The smell is really atrocious also."

"Poor Katherine. I imagine she has no idea what she's gotten herself into," Katherine said.

"I imagine the same can be said of Henry," Charles added.


	19. The Death Of Thomas Cromwell

"My father has been arrested and sent to the Tower. He has been charged with treason, heresy, and corruption," Gregory Cromwell tearfully told Anne of Cleves. Gregory had become a regular visitor to Hever House, and he and Anne had become very good friends, often going horseback riding or on picnics together.

"But I thought he was one of the King's favorites!" Anne was shocked.

"He was, until very recently," Gregory told her. "Father did something that disappointed the King, and his enemies were swift to take the opportunity to bring him down."

"What did he do that disappointed the King?" Anne wanted to know.

Gregory pretended not to hear her.

"It was your father's arrangement of the marriage between the King and myself that has aroused the King's anger, isn't it?" Anne persisted.

"Please don't blame yourself, Anne. It's not your fault at all," Gregory said softly.

"But if not for me, your father would still be in the good graces of the King."

"Please don't think that way, Anne. I'm happy that you came to England. If you hadn't, I never would have met you."

"Even though it may cost your father his life?"

Gregory took both her hands into his own and looked into her eyes. "Whatever happens to my father, you're not in any way responsible for it, so I don't want you to feel guilty at all about it, all right?"

The next time Anne saw Gregory, he brought even worse news.

"My father's execution has been set for July 28," he told her. "Please, Anne, will you accompany me? It will be ever so much easier to bear with you by my side."

"Why, of course I will," Anne replied.

"You don't know how much that means to me," Gregory told her.

* * *

><p>Charles watched fondly as the twins, Arthur and Edward, played with swords, knocking down candles.<p>

"Arthur!" he called. Arthur swung the sword at his father, who immediately fell to the ground and lay motionless.

"Are you all right, Papa?" Edward anxiously ran up to his father, who looked up at him and grinned. Then Charles stood and addressed both of his sons seriously.

"Always remember that a sword is not a toy," he warned them. "A sword can be an instrument of death."

"Have you ever killed anyone, Papa?" asked Edward.

"Yes, in battle," Charles told him.

"I've never seen anyone die," Arthur said. "Can I please go to the execution with you, Father?

* * *

><p>The crowd jeered as Thomas Cromwell was led up the steps of the scaffold. Gregory, his face contorted with agony, stood beside Anne, holding her hand tightly. Charles stood nearby with both his sons standing in front of him.<p>

The crowd grew quiet as Thomas began to speak.

"I come hither to die," he said. "I have offended my Prince, for which I heartily ask his forgiveness, and beseech you all to pray to God with me, that He will forgive me. And now I pray you that be here, to bear me record, I die in the Catholic faith, not doubting in any article of my faith, no, nor doubting in any sacrament of the church."

Thomas knelt before the block and stretched out his arms, and the headsman's axe swung. Once, twice, three times, it swung.

The crowd cheered as the headsman held the dripping head for them to see. Gregory collapsed in a paroxysm of grief; Anne held onto him in a vain effort to comfort him. Charles crossed himself as Arthur, fascinated, couldn't tear his eyes away from the spectacle.

"I want to go home, Papa," Edward whimpered, burying his face in the front of his father's shirt. Charles gently stroked the tousled hair atop his head.

All the way home, Edward clung to his father's hand as his brother skipped excitedly ahead.


	20. A True Innocent

Anne of Cleves spent the rest of that day attempting to comfort Gregory Cromwell, who was utterly devastated.

"I'm the only one left alive," he sobbed. "Mother, Anne, and Grace are all gone, and now Father is as well. I'm the very last one of the Cromwells."

"You shall see them all again some day," Anne told him.

"I know I shall, yet the loss of Father is so very hard to take. I want so badly to have heirs, sons to honor my father's memory and carry on the family name." He sank to his knees. "Will you marry me, Anne? I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"You could love even this? The King couldn't." Anne indicated the pitted scars on her face.

"You're beautiful to me, Anne. You're one of the kindest and most intelligent women I've ever known. Your scars don't change who you are on the inside."

"Oh, Gregory!" Anne was so touched by his words that she began to cry.

"Will you, then?" Gregory asked softly, kissing her tears away.

She nodded, and he joyfully embraced her.

* * *

><p>Katherine was amazed at the marked difference in her sons' demeanors when they returned from the beheading with their father.<p>

"The headsman had to swing the axe _three _times!" Arthur told her excitedly. "He missed the first two times!"

Katherine gasped, shocked. "How horrid!" She looked to Charles for confirmation.

"It's true," Charles said soberly. "It was a very gruesome execution."

"Thomas facilitated my divorce from Henry," Katherine said. "Even so, I would never have wished such a terrible end upon him." She looked at her younger son with concern. "Are you all right, Edward? You look a bit pale."

"I'm fine, Mama," Edward said bravely. With that, he hung his head and slowly walked to his room.

"I think the beheading was a bit much for him to take," Charles said in a low voice.

"Perhaps he shouldn't attend them in the future," Katherine replied.

"Not until he's a lot older, anyway," Charles agreed.

* * *

><p>Gregory's grief over the loss of his father, combined with his horror at Thomas' particularly horrible death, were so acute and prolonged that he and Anne chose to postpone their wedding until after a protracted period of mourning, during which time they got to know one another better.<p>

"I was never told the ways of men and women before I married the King," Anne told Gregory the day before they were to be wed. "He never did anything more than kiss me, and I at first thought that that was enough to render me with child, but I suspect that there may be more to it than that. Am I correct?"

Gregory laughed affectionately. "Yes, Anne, there's a bit more to it than that, but I don't quite know how to describe it to you except to say that it's very natural and exceedingly pleasurable."

"Have you experienced it yourself, then?"

"No, but my father explained it to me when I was thirteen."

"And what did your father tell you?"

Gregory chuckled, embarrassed. "Look, it would be easier if I just showed you, but I can't do that until after we're wed. But it isn't anything to fear." He gave her a reassuring hug. "I promise, Anne, everything will be all right."

The thrill and excitement of the wedding banished all worries from Anne's mind, but that night in her bedchambers, while waiting for Gregory, she began to feel concerned that whatever was to happen between herself and her new husband might prove to be painful, awkward, or embarrassing. She almost even began to wonder if she had done the right thing by agreeing to marry Gregory.

As he entered their bedchambers, Gregory had never before looked so happy to see Anne.

He came to her and began to kiss her lovingly. She felt herself relax and start to feel pleasantly drowsy under his ministrations. After awhile, he slowly began to remove her clothing. Having never been naked in front of a man before, she felt terribly self-conscious. Gregory lavished her with kisses and told her how beautiful she was, and she felt immensely better.

When Gregory began to remove his own clothing, she felt her breath catch in her throat. She had never seen a naked man before. When he was finished, she ran her hands over his entire body, marveling at how different it was from her own. She found to her surprise that she ached with desire, and that her desire increased tremendously the more she looked at him and touched him.

By the time he gently laid her down and positioned himself on top of her, she was more than ready for what was to come, much more than ready.

She felt only a moment of pain, followed by some very pleasurable sensations that she had never felt before. Afterwards he lay holding her tightly while she snuggled up to him with her head on his shoulder, thinking how silly she had been to have been worried at all.


	21. To Everything, A Season

Charles' suppositions about the fate of King Henry VIII's fifth marriage turned out to be correct. Within a couple of years, it came to light that Katherine Howard was having an affair with a trusted courtier named Thomas Culpepper. Both Katherine and her lover were, of course, executed.

Henry remarried soon afterwards, to the widow Katherine Parr.

"He still hopes to beget more sons, as he still has but Edward," Charles told Katherine. "Yet to be honest, given both his size and his poor health, I don't believe he is still capable of performing the act, even."

"Yet I'm sure no one could ever tell him that," Katherine added, and they both laughed.

Charles was sent to fight in the war in France and returned a changed man. Never before had Katherine seen her husband so weary, so weak. It seemed as if the light had simply gone out of his eyes.

"I know that God shall call me home soon," he told Katherine.

"Please don't say such things! I don't know how I could ever go on without you!" Katherine cried.

Charles embraced his wife and kissed her forehead. "Please don't feel so sad, my love. We've shared many happy years together, and you'll always have those memories to treasure. The time to part is very near, but I'll wait for you on the other side, and soon we'll be together for all of eternity."

As Charles grew weaker and eventually became bedridden, Katherine seldom left his side, urging him to eat and drink, hoping against hope that he would take a turn for the better.

Lottie, now a lovely young woman, sat by her father's bedside with tears streaming down her face.

"Please don't leave me, Papa..."

"I must, my darling. As you once left me, now I must leave you. Dearest Lottie, I'll always be a part of you, and you a part of me. We'll see one another again someday. The love we share will never truly die."

Edward sobbed unashamedly. Arthur said little, and although he tried his best to hide it, even he was seen to wipe tears from his eyes from time to time.

The Wyatts all arrived to say good-bye to their long-time friend.

"I'll never forget the kindness you've always shown all of us," Elizabeth Wyatt told Charles. Her younger daughter, Evelyn, was in tears as well. Her older daughter, Kitty, seemed strangely unaffected, which wasn't lost to Katherine, who felt hurt that Kitty seemed so untroubled. Katherine, of course, knew nothing of Kitty's previous life.

As Charles' life ebbed away, Katherine summoned the priest, who arrived to administer last rites to Charles. Katherine sat by Charles' side holding his hand as he drew his last breath.

* * *

><p>In Bavaria, Mary read the letter from her mother and burst into tears.<p>

"I must travel to England right away," she told Philip. "My stepfather has passed away."

"My darling, I am so sorry." Philip embraced his wife and held her as she wept.

"Your mother has to return to England," he explained later to Victor and the twins, Elena and Elisa. The baby, Ernest, was too young to understand. "Something very sad has happened in her family and she has to go and visit her mother, your grandmother, for a little while, but she won't be gone for very long, and then she'll come right back home to us."

"Don't go, Mama!" cried Elena and Elisa, holding tightly to Mary's legs.

"I _have_ to go, my darlings," Mary told them. "But your Papa will be here to take care of you, and Frau Gretchen, and the others."

Saying good-bye to her family and traveling back to England alone was one of the most difficult things Mary had ever done. Although she looked forward to seeing her mother again, she dreaded facing the sorrow and grief that she was sure to soon encounter.

* * *

><p>The death of King Henry VIII only a couple of years later seemed almost anti-climactic to Katherine. His funeral was, of course, much grander and more lavish than Charles' had been, and although she had spent many years with Henry and had a child with him, she felt nothing more than a mild sense of finality when she heard of his passing. The death of Charles had left her with a raw, gaping wound, that at first had seemed almost unbearable. For days, all she could do was sit and cry and pray. By contrast, she felt that she had done all her mourning over Henry long ago, when he had cast her aside.<p>

Despite how he had treated her, Anne of Cleves felt no joy at Henry's passing. Instead, she was kind-hearted enough to feel genuine sympathy for those who had loved him and would miss him. After all, she reasoned, if not for Henry, she would never have come to England and therefore never met Gregory. The happiness she now shared with her husband more than made up for any pain Henry had caused her.

Gregory, still bitter over the loss of his father, felt a vindictive sense of satisfaction at Henry's death, although he was, of course, too well bred to allow his feelings to show.

Anne, sensitive to her husband's pain, did not attend Henry's funeral, instead sharing a quiet day with Gregory, their young son Thomas, and their infant daughter Elizabeth.


	22. Just Desserts

_The man who in life had been King Henry VIII strode with confidence toward the figure bathed in a blinding white light sitting upon a white throne. He was sure that the figure was God and that he was about to receive his heavenly reward for having been such a noble, mighty, and just King.  
><em>

_"Well, what do you have to say for yourself?" boomed a very loud voice coming from the throne.  
><em>

_Henry just stood there, nonplussed. Was that a note of disapproval he detected?  
><em>

_"I said, what do you have to say for yourself?" the figure demanded once more after a few minutes of silence had passed.  
><em>

_"I...I don't understand. Is this not heaven, where I am to receive my eternal reward for having served the Lord faithfully all these years?"  
><em>

_"You are correct in assuming that this is heaven, but not in assuming that you are due to receive an eternal reward." The voice was cold, almost hostile. In his wildest dreams Henry had never imagined that his inevitable meeting with his Creator would turn out this way.  
><em>

_"Did I not carry out my earthly duties as I should have?"  
><em>

_"What gave you the idea that it was right and good to discard a woman who had loved you for half a lifetime, murder two others, and destroy monasteries and their occupants and take all their valuables for yourself to dispose of as you wished?"  
><em>

_"Everything I did was for the good of England." Henry was surprised at how weak his voice sounded by comparison to that of the Almighty. "Lord, you must understand that England needed a male heir. Surely a female isn't fit to rule a country. And Lord, I had to cleanse the nation of those with errant beliefs. You know how corrupt the church of Rome had become. What kind of King would I have been if I had allowed that corruption to continue?"  
><em>

_"And I suppose it's no coincidence that what was best for England just happened to be what was best for King Henry VIII."  
><em>

_"I...I don't know what to say, Lord."  
><em>

_"Do you realize that I have every right to send you straight to hell this very second?"  
><em>

_Henry began to blink very rapidly as he shook his head and backed away.  
><em>

_"But I'm not going to."  
><em>

_Henry sagged with relief.  
><em>

_"Instead, I'm going to give you a generous taste of your own medicine. You shall be reborn female, and into a devoutly Muslim family in Arabia. In addition, you shall also be sterile, therefore unable to bear sons."  
><em>

* * *

><p>"The new King is devoted to the new faith," the younger Thomas Wyatt told Lottie.<p>

Lottie laughed. "He's only nine years old! What does he know?"

Thomas frowned. "Is that the proper way to speak of a King?"

"Perhaps not, but I just have a great deal of difficulty seeing a nine-year-old boy as the head of the Church of England."

"Despite his youth, I've heard that His Majesty is intelligent. Perhaps his beliefs are correct after all."

Lottie looked at him with eyes round with fear. "Thomas, to depart from the true faith is to risk the damnation of your eternal soul!"

"But what if the faith we believe to be the true one isn't the true faith after all? Would that not endanger our immortal souls as well?"

"Thomas, how can you _say _such things? How can you even _think _them?"

"I've been giving this a lot of thought, Lottie, and much of what the new faith claims as truth does seem to make sense. For instance..."

Lottie, deeply upset, stuffed her fingers in her ears. "What you're saying is _heresy, _Thomas Wyatt! And if I were you, I'd be on my knees begging for forgiveness _right now!"_


	23. Rebellion

**July 1553**

"My brother the King has died," Mary told Philip. "I must travel to England to take my rightful place as Queen."

Philip agreed without hesitation. He knew how important it was to his wife that she bring the true faith back to England, and he also knew that he had relatives whom he could depend on to govern Bavaria in his absence.

Having never been outside Bavaria, the children were excited about the move.

"Just think, Mama's going to be a Queen!" exulted Elena.

"I'm going to miss all my friends in Bavaria," Elisa said sadly.

"That's all right. We'll make new ones," Elena assured her.

"Anyway, we'll still have each other," little Ernest said.

Victor, the oldest, told his siblings all he knew about England. "It doesn't get quite as cold in the winter, but it rains a lot. There are beaches, strips of land where the sea meets the shore. There's sand and seashells. It's really pretty."

In the library he found books with pictures of Dover to show his siblings, who were all duly impressed. Even Elisa was cheered by the prospect of actually getting to visit such a beautiful place.

* * *

><p><strong>February 1554<strong>

"I simply can't believe you could have done such a foolish thing," Lottie told Thomas Wyatt, who sat in the Tower awaiting his fate. He and his troops had marched on London and penetrated St. James' Palace and beyond before the attempted coup had fallen apart and he had been forced to surrender.

"The true faith must prevail," Thomas insisted. "If it means my life, then so be it."

"Thomas, what you say is madness," Lottie scolded. "With the support my sister Mary has, how could you have possibly thought that you could defeat her?"

"I had to do my part to prevent the return of Papacy to England," Thomas said stubbornly.

"But at what cost?" Tears streamed down Lottie's face. "We were together before, Thomas. I don't remember all the details, but I do know that we were together in a previous life, and you _died, _Thomas. I was there and I _saw _you die. And now I'm going to have to watch you die again." Lottie was now sobbing hard. Thomas slid his hand between the bars of his cell and patted her head in a futile attempt to comfort her.

"I love you, Thomas," she cried. "I may not have in our previous life, but I do in this one. I simply couldn't bear to see you die...again."

Thomas nodded silently, his eyes looking earnestly into Lottie's. His lips moved silently. She couldn't tell what he was saying.

* * *

><p>It was with extreme trepidation that Lottie approached her older half-sister, the Queen. She knew that Mary had every right to be angry at Thomas, every right to desire his death. After all, his actions could have been construed as nothing short of high treason. And yet, Mary and her half-sister had always been close. Perhaps...<p>

"Lottie." Queen Mary smiled as she greeted her younger sister. "What troubles you?"

"Thomas Wyatt, Your Grace." Lottie blinked back tears. "As you know, he and I grew up together and have always been very close. Must he truly die?"

"He has committed high treason, Lottie. You well know what the punishment for that is."

"I love him, Your Grace, as you love Philip." Lottie looked at the Queen with pleading eyes. "If you were me, and Philip were the one condemned to death, would you not want with all your heart for mercy to be shown unto him?"

"Philip would never have done something as foolhardy as attempting to usurp a rightful Queen from her throne," Mary said coldly.

"I know that," Lottie said. "But would you please consider sparing him, if only for your poor sister's sake?"

"Very well," Mary agreed, after a few minutes of thought. "He shall be exiled to Scotland, and he is not to return to England ever again under pain of death."

* * *

><p>"I knew you'd come to me," Thomas told Lottie.<p>

"Of course I did," Lottie said.

"I'm glad you did," Thomas told her. "Otherwise I'd never have gotten the chance to thank you for saving my life."

"Can't you see that I had to? I know that in a previous life I was responsible for your death."

Thomas shook his head. "I don't understand. But I do know that I love you, Lottie."

She smiled.

"You don't have to stay here with me, you know." Thomas' voice was gruff. "I was the one who did wrong and was banished to Scotland. You did nothing wrong, Lottie. England is your home. It's where you belong."

Lottie shook her head. "With you is where I belong."

"Marry me, Lottie. We can make a new start together here in Scotland."

Lottie looked at the majestic mountains in the distance and didn't even have to think about what her answer would be.


	24. Epilogue

_High in the misty Highlands  
>Out by the purple highlands<br>Brave are the hearts that beat  
>Beneath Scottish skies<br>Wild are the winds to meet you  
>Staunch are the friends that greet you<br>Kind as the love that shines from fair maidens' eyes_

Thomas grinned and spun his bride around as the bagpipes played and their new countrymen sang. Lottie's heart was light as a feather as she danced with her new husband. Although saddened at the prospect of possibly never seeing her mother or siblings again, she looked forward to beginning a new life in a new country with the man she loved. Thomas had been offered a position of leadership in the fledgling Presbyterian church, whose members regarded him as a hero. Lottie, who still secretly held some degree of sympathy with Catholicism, was nevertheless happy to see him amongst his friends.

That night she smiled to herself as she waited for Thomas to come to her. They had come together before, in another lifetime, but she hadn't truly loved him then, hadn't truly desired him as she did now.

As Thomas approached her, she saw the same desire in his eyes that was burning in her own heart. She reached for him, and he came to her, joining his body with her own for the first time in this life.

_I never conceived a son for Portugal. I could have, but I didn't. Yet I shall conceive sons for Scotland, and they shall become great rulers, not of an earthly kingdom, but of a heavenly one._

The list of their descendants would come to include such names as Thomas McCrie, Robert Murray MacCheyne, William Chalmers Burns, George McPherson Docherty, John Witherspoon, and Peter Marshall.

* * *

><p>The proudest moment of Katherine's life was the coronation of her daughter, Mary. Looking back on the day Henry had declared their marriage vows to be null and void, she couldn't help but smile at the irony of it all. Henry had been so sure that he would get a healthy son from Anne Boleyn. He had been wrong, of course. With Jane Seymour he had once again been sure that the fates would smile on him at last and give him what he most desired. Yet Edward had been sickly and had died in his teens, and now it was Mary, her Mary, who sat on the throne of England. The child Henry had rejected and cast aside now sat on <em>his <em>throne.

She heard someone call her name and, to her surprise, saw that it was Charles. Not as he had been at the end of his life, but as he had been when he had been young and virile, with his whole life still before him.

"Katherine, my love." His hand was extended toward her. "It's time for you to come home. We shall be together again at last, my love, and this time it shall be for all of eternity."

"Charles!" She was so happy to see him again that she had to fight back tears. "My Mary is Queen now!"

"I know." Charles smiled. "I watched her coronation from up here. You did very well, Katherine. Very well indeed. And now it's time for you to rest. You've earned it. You deserve it."

Katherine felt but a moment of fear as she looked at his outstretched hand, and then the fear was quickly replaced with longing as she eagerly grasped it. She had forgotten how nice it felt to hold hands with Charles. She glanced behind her to see her body lying peacefully asleep, and then she turned to look at Charles' face shining with joy as he led her to the new life that they would share together, forever.


End file.
